FIND YOUR SMILE MITCH (LISA)

Lisa Hartman
Blended Families, Life as a Step-Mom, Marriage

"Find your smile Lisa", those words from my Hubby as I left for the Evo Conference. For those of you who don't remember - "Find your smile Mitch" is from the movie City Slickers, one of our family favorites. I don't think I was as bad off as Mitch before he left for the Cattle Ranch, but if so it's coming 5 years later. In a few short weeks I'll be 45.
 

Last week I had a minor meltdown and then a major meltdown. First the minor. My kids are out of school for the summer. Like a lot of Mom's I don't feel like I have enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on my plate. Then to have all of my kids home during the day - has made life even more complicated.

On top of that, Jax is leaving in a few short weeks for College and has been full of compliments on how much he will miss my cooking, can I make him this, that or the other. I decided to be flattered and take it as a compliment and have been making him meals at all times of the day and night. Bad habit I know! Don't know if it's MY cooking as much as I do all the work. No matter the reason, I know I will miss these times come Fall - I jumped into becoming a short order cook for the summer.

TIBIT TUESDAY - STEP-MOM HARDEST ROLE OF MY LIFE

Lisa Hartman
Blended Families, Life as a Step-Mom, Step-parenting, Tidbit Tuesday

Today feels like a Monday with the Holiday yesterday.  I'm having a hard time getting started even with my steaming cup of tea.  At least it's Tuesday and I'm posting Tidbit Tuesday on Tuesday so that's a plus this week! Yeah me!

After posting Tidbit Tuesday last week - many of the comments and conversations I had following brought up the question - Is being a Step-Mom the hardest, most challenging role I have had in my life?

My initial response was Y-E-S, hands down it's been the hardest role of my life!

As I was telling my Hubby this very thing - he said even more than being a Mom dealing with your daughter's Step-Mom?  I have had some very serious issues with Malus over the past 17 years.  As I took time to think about my relationships with the Step-Mom(Malus) and the Mom's(Bitty/Greta) I deal with in both roles my reaction was still a big YES! I jotted down the some of the differences. Here they are:

Some of my reasons why being a Mom and dealing with the Step-Mom to my child ranks second to being a Step-Mom:

TIDBIT TUESDAY - THE USUAL HIDING PLACE?

Lisa Hartman
Blended Families, Teenagers, Tidbit Tuesday

I know it's Thursday, but I'm doing my Tidbit Tuesday post today.  I've been on overload for the past couple of weeks.  Hopefully, I will get my timing back on for the Summer and then, well - it will be Fall! Ugh!

This week, I've been noticing some chatter about - FOOD! Kids and Step-Kids eating that special treat Mom's/Step-Mom's have saved as reward for that long day after work only to find that it was eaten by the munchkins!  It's a kids nature to eat what's in front of them. I've tried changing my eating habits to things I know they hate.  Then they get desperate - starving - breakdown and eat my treat.  They realize WOW - that's fantastic!  

Little Hart: Do we have any more of the Kettle Chips?

Me: Yes, they're in the hiding place.

Little Hart: The usual hiding place?

Me: Yes Dahling!

Yes, I have a hiding place - that all my kids know about. It may seem a little wacky and maybe even a little sad, but it's sanity to me.  I have an entire cabinet dedicated to the kids needs; cereal, chips, granola, treats. I used to put my treats in that same cabinet.  Only to find that when I wanted one or the seven bags of chip in the pantry all were open and stale because each kid decided to open a new bag every time they wanted some or that special treat - just an empty box!

 

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